Hedwig's: A Place for Friends
by MireiLovett1846
Summary: In Harry Potter's third year, a new pub opens down in Hogsmeade Village. Magic and mayhem shall ensue as Harry, Ron, Hermione and many others from Hogwarts patronize Hedwig's--it is, after all, a place for friends...
1. The Old Building in Hogsmeade

**Well, hello. It's Mirei, with a (hopefully) multi-chaptered fic out at last. This is a humorous what-if-this-happened sort of story, spanning from **_**Prisoner of Azkaban**_** to the end of **_**Half-Blood Prince.**_

**So enjoy! **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own **_**Harry Potter**_** and all its magical fabulousness. If I did, I'd be the richest woman alive.**

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Hedwig's: A Place for Friends

Chapter One: The Old Building in Hogsmeade

The tiny old building in Hogsmeade had stood empty as long as anyone could remember. Compared to the rest of the village, it was a relatively young building, having been built in 1893. At one time, it had been yet another pub but closed sometime before the rise of Grindelwald due to poor business. (The score of ghosts who haunted the place had never been particularly kind to patrons.)

One brisk day in mid-September, one of the ghosts was hovering in a dirty attic window under the eaves. She looked about thirty years of age, with straight black hair and dressed in a long white nightgown. In life, she had been Hedwig Hornby, and in death, she was the friendliest ghost of the bunch.

Hedwig Hornby was gazing down upon the living folk of Hogsmeade. Directly below her window, two stories down, a goblin was tacking up wanted posters for Sirius Black. _I knew Sirius Black_, Hedwig thought. _He and his friends frequented the village in their school days…_ Suddenly the goblin was shoved aside by a pretty brunette in sweeping turquoise robes. She was followed by Bilius and Myrna Cross, the elderly couple who were unofficial mayors of Hogsmeade. Hedwig saw that the trio approached the front door of the pub, so she sank down through the floorboards to greet them.

"Is this the building, Miss Youngblood?" Bilius Cross asked. He was a slightly stooped old mad with wispy white hair wearing brown robes. His wife, Myrna, wore robes of pale green and carried a large rusted key. Behind them, the brunette in blue smiled, coming forth. "Yes it is, Mr. Cross!" Myrna unlocked the creaking oak door, opening the old pub.

The front room was about the size of the Potions dungeon at Hogwarts and about as welcoming. Spiderwebs draped the walls and windows, dangling from the ceiling like flimsy silver curtains. Rotting wooden tables and benches lay about, splintered and broken. Moldering away about the fireplace was a stuffed moose head, strung round the neck with a desiccated floral garland. The sconces on the peeling painted walls were covered in wax stalactites. The place had a musty smell to it and looked a complete wreck.

"Oh, what a fright. Well, nothing a little magic can't mend!" the blue-robed woman declared, whipping a slender maple wand from her deep bell sleeves. Bilius and Myrna in turn drew their wands. "Not so fast, Miss Youngblood! You don't own this building yet!" Myrna said.

Miss Youngblood tossed her short, springy brown curls. "Ah, well. That _is_ true. But, after all, I _am_ Vivienne Youngblood, top realtor on the _Witch Weekly_ staff." she said brightly. Bilius and Myrna rolled their eyes. It was about the sixty-third time they'd heard that lovely little tagline that afternoon—not that they were counting.

"I'll take this grubby old shack off your hands, Mr. and Mrs. Cross. In fact, I'll purchase it from the village of Hogsmeade. But rest assured! I'll turn this into the most popular restaurant in the village. Witches and wizards will come from all over, and think of the potential business form the students and faculty at Hogwarts!" Vivienne gushed.

"And just _what_ do you intend to do to make it so?" a voice inquired.

Everyone whipped around to the back corner to see the ghost of a dark-haired, nightgown-clad woman floating there. She had a disgruntled look on her pretty face, and her transparent arms were folded in annoyance.

"I'm Hedwig Hornby and this is my home. You can't just establish a new business here. My ghostly friends will surely wreak havoc upon the patrons, as they did when there last was a bar here, and it will be a horrible failure of a business." Hedwig Hornby said coolly. Despite the warning, Vivienne's face was as bright as a sunrise.

"Oh, I don't mean to ruin this lovely old place. In fact…. Wait. Hedwig, did you say your name was? That's perfect! I'll name my business after you! 'Hedwig's: A Place for Friends!' What do you say to that, Miss Hornby?"

Hedwig smiled. "Sounds fine to me, Vivienne Youngblood." Vivienne stuck out her hand, and Hedwig did her best to reciprocate the handshake.

A quill and ink were extracted from a small leather pouch at Bilius' waist, and Myrna took the deed from a book she had brought along. The deed was signed, a bulging velvet sack of Galleons changed hands, and with that, Hedwig's was opened.

Life in Hogsmeade was about to get a whole lot more chaotic….

**Did you like it? Reviews are most appreciated. =]**

**~Mirei**


	2. Word Gets Out

**So sorry for the long wait! Updates will be more frequent from now on, I assure you. Thanks to I-Am-Here-My-Child, Stormshadow13, briaimepantalons, and unamuerte for their reviews of Chapter 1. Now here's Chapter 2. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Le sigh…**

Chapter Two: Word Gets Out

It was an ordinary day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—about as ordinary as such a school can be! Young Harry Potter and his two closest friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, were in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, listening, entranced, to Professor Lupin tell exciting tales of his encounters with Dark creatures.

"And that, third years, is why you should never challenge a hinkypunk to a game of Exploding Snap." Lupin finished. He was received by thrilled applause by all but the handful of Slytherins in the class.

"Bloody 'ell, Professor! That was an amazing story!" Ron exclaimed. Lupin smiled. "Well, thank you, Mr. Weasley. Homework tonight: Write, on no less than fifteen inches of parchment, a humorous tale about yourself facing a hinkypunk and a game of Exploding Snap. We'll share tomorrow." Lupin finished speaking just as the bell rang for lunch.

"Isn't Professor Lupin the best, Hermione?" Harry asked enthusiastically. But Hermione was nowhere to be seen. Ron noticed too, and he asked, "Wasn't she just in Lupin's class with us?" The boys proceeded into the great hall, and their perplexity rose to an all-new level as they saw Hermione seated at the Gryffindor table spooning mashed potatoes onto her golden plate.

"What—what? You were just—Lupin's class--" Ron sputtered. Hermione lifted a brow. "Lupin's class? Yes, it was very nice, Ron." Ron opened his mouth in protest, but then sat down, grumbling about Hermione. Harry sat down between Ron and Dean Thomas. Dean was curiously glancing up at the staff table.

"Wonder why McGonagall and Dumbledore are reading the _Prophet_?" he said, pointing up to the front of the hall. Indeed, the Transfiguration teacher and the headmaster were talking, looking down at a spread-out leaf of the Daily Prophet. Dumbledore was nodding, his blue wizard's hat threatening to tip off his silver head into a soup tureen. Harry watched them for a few more seconds until Dumbledore got to his feet and McGonagall sat in her chair.

"Before lunch begins, everyone, Professor McGonagall has an announcement to make about the upcoming Hogsmeade village visits. Please give it up for your Transfiguration professor, Minerva McGonagall!" Dumbledore announced. A smattering of confused applause could be heard from the House tables as McGonagall came to the front of the room. Harry noticed the _Daily Prophet_ in her hand.

"Good afternoon, students. Professor Dumbledore and I were reading the Prophet just moments ago, and we stumbled upon this article." she said crisply, unfolding the page and adjusting her square spectacles.

"'_NEW PUB OPENING IN HOGSMEADE VILLAGE'"_

"‛_Hogsmeade Village, the only all-wizarding village in Britain, will soon be home to a trendy new 'nightclub-restaurant hybrid', says the future proprietor. Vivienne Youngblood, top realtor on the _Witch Weekly_ staff, purchased the place from Bilius and Myrna Cross in the hopes that it would 'liven up' Hogsmeade._

"'_Hogsmeade is _so_ 17__th__ century! By installing my new enterprise, I hope to touch this charming village with a bit of modern magic! And think of the business! The famous Hogwarts School is right nearby. Imagine how many students and professors will flock to Hedwig's once it opens!' says Youngblood._

"‛_The nightclub/restaurant/whatever she decides to call it next, called Hedwig's, opens October 24.'"_

McGonagall lowered the newspaper. There was a look of disdain on her face that wouldn't bee out of place on Snape.

"This new _establishment_, Hedwig's, is opening a week prior to the weekend of the first Hogsmeade visit. I am letting you all know that despite the foolish statements in this article, students are forbidden to patronize Hedwig's. It sounds like the sort of place students should not be going, especially if it's run by this Vivienne Youngblood character." she said. This was met by boos and protests from the students, and McGonagall lifted a hand for silence.

"However, depending on the reputation Hedwig's makes for itself by Christmas, the ban may be lifted." Concise as ever, McGonagall returned to her seat.

Throughout lunch, the talk at all the House tables was Hedwig's, of course.

"Wonder why Vivienne Youngblood named the nightclub after your owl, Harry." Hermione mused. Ron swallowed his mouthful of potato and roast pork and said, "Mum reads _Witch Weekly_ all the time. Sometimes she says if we had the money, we'd buy a new house from Vivienne Youngblood." Harry sat silently amidst his friends' enthused chatter, his roast growing cold. The idea of a new restaurant in Hogsmeade that was forbidden to students only heightened his desire to visit the village. Perhaps he'd find a way.

Classes resumed as usual, and the rest of the day passed uneventfully. After dinner, when the students had all cleared out, the four Head Teachers and Dumbledore were left in the Great Hall.

Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff, was rereading the article about Hedwig's. "This place sounds exciting! What do you think, Minerva? Should we host the staff Christmas party there this year?" the Herbology teacher brightly suggested. Professor Flitwick, the tiny Head of Ravenclaw, nodded his approval. "Excellent idea!" McGonagall looked thoughtfully at Sprout.

"You know, Pomona, that may not be such a bad idea…. Severus, what do you think?" Everyone's attention shifted to Professor Snape, potions master and the Head of Slytherin House.

He peered over Sprout's shoulder to reexamine the article, and his long nostrils flared. "Personally, Minerva, I think _we_ shouldn't even go to Hedwig's if the students can't. I don't want _Potter_ getting any ideas if he sees Albus about the place." Snape said dryly. Dumbledore, who'd been quietly sipping a goblet of mulled cider throughout this discussion, spoke up.

"I have a plan! Pomona, Severus, you are _both_ right Perhaps we should not frequent the place if student's aren't allowed." Snape's soulless dark eyes lit up.

"However, it does sound as though it might be a nice spot for the staff Christmas party.

"Therefore, I think it's only best if the five of us compose a letter to Miss Youngblood and inform her of our decisions. Come. To my office!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. He sprang up out of his seat and pranced to the fireplace. The Head teachers followed him at a much less sprightly gait. Dumbledore pulled a satchel of Floo powder from his robes and Floo-powdered his way up to his tower office. His satchel flew out of the fireplace at McGonagall's feet. She picked it up and stepped into the ashes. "I suppose I'll go first."

The Head teachers each stumbled out from behind the fold iron grate of Dumbledore's fireplace. Fawkes watched curiously as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and then Sprout came out, stumbling across hot cinders and coughing up soot. Suddenly, some muffled cursing came from the fireplace as Snape and Flitwick both popped in at once. Snape dropped on all fours and crawled out, leaving Flitwick to stroll out of the fireplace and into the office.

"Well. That was humiliating." Snape muttered, dusting soot and ash from his black robes. Sprout chuckled. "Nonsense, Severus! A little extra dirt never hurt anyone!" she said proudly.

Once the very sooty teachers were seated around Dumbledore's desk on assorted conjured-up chairs, Dumbledore produced parchment, a quill, and a bottle of the official emerald-green Hogwarts ink. "Now then. Let us begin. Feel free to enjoy some Cockroach Clusters." the headmaster said, gesturing to a silver dish on the table heaped with the rather revolting candies.

At the end of a half-hour, a letter had been composed and five signatures graced the bottom. Dumbledore pressed his Hogwarts crest stamp into the deep crimson wax on the seam of the letter and looked up at his staff.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. Hopefully, Miss Youngblood will take our advice to heart before the opening of her business." Dumbledore said, tying the letter to Fawkes's leg. With a caw, the phoenix soared out an open window, trailing smoke and bound for the future site of Hedwig's.

**I hope you enjoyed it. **

**Reviews are much appreciated! ^_^**

**~Mirei**


	3. A Letter from Hogwarts

**As always, mates, thanks for the reviews. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. =P**

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Chapter 3: A Letter from Hogwarts

Preparations for the grand opening of Hedwig's were well under way. Vivienne Youngblood was tackling all interior designs. She employed a group of village girls, as well as a select few from her staff at _Witch Weekly_, to paint the room, obtain new furniture, and buy dishes and utensils to stock the kitchen. The main room now had walls painted dark teal. New tables and chairs had been imported from carpenters around the nation, and china and silverware had been purchased from the finest retailers. A new bar with a huge mirror was installed and an upstairs chamber had been fixed up as Vivienne's office.

She sat in this office Thursday morning, eagerly drafting a preliminary menu. Her quill pen was poised over parchment as she flipped through Myrna Cross's large old cookbook.

"Mmm… 'Apple Dumplings, a Favourite among Centaurs and Such Folk'…definitely… 'Human Eyeballs as Garnish for Alcoholic Drinks'…quite possible… 'Human Haggis for Hags'—ugh! Who would eat such disgusting things?" Vivienne was saying to herself. She was having quite a bit of fun, adding dishes that one wouldn't ordinarily find at the other pubs at Hogsmeade.

_Tap-tap-tap._

Vivienne looked up. Perched outside the window was a majestic red and gold phoenix. A scroll was tied to its leg, and it pecked at the window as though requesting entrance. Vivienne rose and unlatched the window, allowing the phoenix to flap inside. It alighted neatly on the edge of her desk.

Vivienne noticed the Hogwarts seal on the letter secured to the right leg of the phoenix. Curiously, she untied it, slit the seal, and opened it. It was written in six separate paragraphs.

"What could this be?" Vivienne asked herself, sitting down to read.

The first paragraph was in an elegant hand:

_Dear Miss Youngblood, _

_My staff and I had the pleasure of reading you interview in today's _Prophet_. However, we feel that until Hedwig's makes itself a proper reputation, we will not permit students to patronize it. I, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, as well as my four Head Teachers, have written to inform you of our reasoning behind this choice._

_I personally think that your restaurant will be a fine place to enjoy a good meal and meet with friends; so long as it draws much of the same good folk who frequent the Leaky Cauldron in London._

Vivienne lifted a perfectly arched brow. "Albus Dumbledore…" The next paragraph was written in a schoolmarm-like hand: stiff and formal.

I_, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, do agree with Albus Dumbledore about Hedwig's. I do indeed remember you from your days at Hogwarts: a vivacious young girl with good ideas, but sometimes you needed a little reigning in. I can only hope you have matured over the years and become a bit more responsible. _

_Hoping you are well, _

_Minerva McGonagall_

Vivienne chuckled to herself, remembering McGonagall's straight-laced ways from her schooldays. It seemed that the Transfiguration professor had not changed much.

The next paragraph was written in a messy, enthusiastic sort of scrawl that Vivienne fondly remembered: it was that of her old Head Teacher, Professor Sprout!

_Vivienne! How lovely to be writing to you! I personally can't wait to come see you at Hedwig's. I do hope your career as top realtor on the_ Witch Weekly _staff has been rewarding and promising—you epitomize a true, hardworking Hufflepuff!_

_~Pomona Sprout_

Vivienne smiled with a little laugh of nostalgia. Dear old Professor Sprout!

The next paragraph was written in tiny capitals that Vivienne had to squint to read.

_Good day, Miss Youngblood! My only request is that when I do come to your restaurant, you have a taller chair on hand for me to sit in. Otherwise, I hope your business has an excellent start and a long, prosperous run._

_Fondest wishes, Filius Flitwick_

"Ah, of course. I'll just jot that down…" Vivienne scribbled a reminder to procure a taller chair on a scrap of parchment.

The penultimate paragraph was not in the loopy cursive of Professor Slughorn, but instead in a spiky, unfriendly sort of handwriting that made Vivienne uneasy.

_I assure you, Miss Youngblood, that if the slightest bit of idiotic, Dark Art-pertaining, unruly, or otherwise questionable activity occurs at Hedwig's, you shall see nary hide nor hair of the Hogwarts students or staff. And if the students are the cause of any disturbance, I expect that you will resort to your better judgment and eject them immediately. Once they return to the castle, I will deal with them as I see fit. _

_--Severus Snape_

Vivienne frowned at the parchment. Who did this Severus Snape fellow think he was, the Headmaster? With a sniff, she finished the letter. Dumbledore, thankfully, had the final word.

_Please book a table for five for October 24. Minerva, Pomona, Filius, Severus and I will be happy to join you on opening weekend to get a feel of the place. _

_Sincerely, _

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Pomona Sprout_

_Filius Flitwick_

_Severus Snape_

Vivienne smiled, reaching for a fine leather-bound appointment book that had been charmed to date itself for October 24. She wrote "Dumbledore & Hogwarts Head Teachers—5" on the first available line. Then she dashed off a quick note:

To Headmaster Dumbledore:

Reservations have been made for your party of five on October 24. I hope you enjoy your visit.

~Vivienne Youngblood

She tied it to the leg of the phoenix and gave it a Galleon. "Thank you."

The phoenix took off out the window, and Vivienne closed it up, sitting down to finish the menu. She had to ensure that the menu was perfect for the night that Professor Dumbledore and the Head Teachers came for dinner.

**I do hope you enjoyed it. More magic and mayhem to come…**

**~Mirei**


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